As the 4K ultra HD TV market grows, new standards and new design trends are starting to take firm root. One of these, at least so far, has been a tendency towards TVs with a gentle concave curvature to their screens. The big questions, which have also spawned some debate among consumers, tech watchers like us at 4k.com and manufacturers as well are whether curved TV designs are superior to their flat screen counterparts, if they’re worth buying and in case they’re worse or better, than by how much and in which ways?

Well, for those of you who have also been wondering about these issues, you need not look any further. We’re about to cover all of the essential arguments, issues, factors and technical aspects of curved TVs and their flat cousins to see which of the two types really is the better option and in which ways.

We’ll weigh the pros, cons and other assorted but important details for you so that you can come out of this guide knowing without much doubt what the deal is, all fluff and sales shtick aside.

Let’s get started.

Aesthetics & Wall Hanging

The first and most basic question to consider when it comes to buying either a curved 4K TV or a flat model is one of aesthetics, ie: which do you think looks nicer. While how something physically looks isn’t always exactly the best measure of whether you should buy it (functionality is always more important we think), when it comes to products in which the difference in quality between one look and another is debatable to some extent, looks have a fair place in your assessment.

With that said, we personally believe that curved TVs do look wonderful. Maybe they’ll be considered strange fads in a few years if most home TV designs go back to their tried and true flat look but at least right now, some of the most elegant looking 4K UHD models on the market are indeed curved. Take for example LG’s OLED 4K TVs, the original 2014 models and almost all of the new 2016 models of these beautiful curved TVs, such as the highly acclaimed LG G6 are wonderfully thin and it’s hard to argue against how elegantly sleek they look.

Curved TVs are on the clumsy looking side when it comes to mounting them on a flat wall

To summarize this, while we can’t objectively argue whether curved or flat looks lovelier in the home from an aesthetic point of view, two very crucial points should be kept in mind:

First, that curvature usually means a slightly bulkier 4K TV screen overall, due to a slightly thicker screen profile. This usually won’t be a problem but it can cause some issues for those who want a truly unobtrusive television profile in their home.

Second, that hanging curved 4K TVs on a wall is downright awkward. Flat screen 4K UHD TVs are far more amenable to be hanged along any vertical space, almost as if they were paintings or large photo frames and when not in use, they do little to draw attention. This doesn’t apply to curved models. Many of the older 2014 curved TVs lack even the VESA setup for being mounted to a wall and while newer model do now have wall-mounting capacity, they simply look strange when hanged up, and stick out quite a bit.

Is the “Immersiveness” real? (Why size does matter)

This is perhaps the single most contentious and debatable argument being used in favor of curved 4K televisions today, mainly because immersiveness is the supposed characteristic of these TVs which has been most used to justify their design and ultimately their price as well.

The basic argument states that due to their gently inward curving screen, 4K models with this design offer a greater level of immersiveness to the viewers sitting in front of them by slightly expanding the perceptible quantity of screen space for their diagonal size. Combined with their beautiful 4K UHD resolution and high contrast, this is supposed to create the effect of greater depth and immersion in general.

Unfortunately, while this is ever so slightly true in the very basic sense that, for example, a 60 inch curved TV offers slightly more actual screen space (if flattened out) than an already flat 60 inch TV, the difference is very slight. We’re talking here about maybe .8 to 1 inch of extra display real estate.

As a result of this small additional space, the field of view for a curved 4K UHD TV vs. a flat screen TV is also only slightly smaller. Field of view is the viewing degree for a person seated an average distance of about 8 feet from the screen. In a curved 60 inch TV, the FOV is only a fraction of a degree larger than that of a flat screen 60 inch TV at the same distance. We’re talking here about 29 degrees vs. 29.48 degrees, in other words, something you’d barely notice given the extra price tag that a curved model sells for (more on that shortly).

FOV in curved 4K TVs is actually slightly more restricted

In overall practical terms, the immersiveness which has been so heavily vaunted about curved TVs is really not at all notable at the sorts of screen sizes most normal home televisions come in. It’s that simple. Yes, commercial theaters have been using curved screen spaces for years to create greater depth and immersion for their audiences but these are after all screens with sizes in the dozens of feet. For any 4K TV in the average 40 to 65 inch range, that same slight curvature does basically nothing and a curved 55, 60 inch or 65 inch TV screen looks no more immersive than its flat counterpart if the two are compared side by side at any normal viewing distance.

In very essential terms, curve only creates perceptible immersiveness at sizes which go way beyond the bounds of normal home theater 4K TVs.

Viewing Angle

LG’s OLED 4K TVs offer the best possible viewing angles, but not because of their curve

Now, while curve doesn’t measurably create greater immersion as we’ve seen above, it can ruin viewing angles in certain ways. Unlike a curved commercial theater screen, in which the entire audience easily fits inside the ideal viewing angles of the screen’s gigantic curve, the normal household 4K TV with curvature in the 55 to 70 inch range effectively reduces the ideal viewing area in front of it to just 35 degrees off from center to either side.

In other words, the actual ideal viewing space and angles of a curved TV can be smaller than what they would be for a flat TV! Anybody who isn’t lucky enough to be sitting within less than 35 degrees to either side of the front of the screen will actually end up being stuck with observing slight foreshortening of the on-screen image. This can be downright annoying and cause eye strain as the brain tries to compensate for the distortion.

On the other hand, the bigger the curved 4K UHD TV, the larger its ideal viewing area and in this category, the size of larger 4K TVs does matter, with a 70 inch 4K UHD TV being the minimum you’d need to avoid the potential eye strain caused by watching the TV even just a little bit from off-center. Again though, even a 70 to 85 inch TV with curvature won’t create anything remotely resembling the immersiveness that some claim for these televisions.

We should note that at slight off-center viewing angles, curved 4K TVs can indeed create a slightly better dimensionality effect in the picture they’re displaying but this is offset by the problems we have described above. Furthermore, the one type of curved 4K TV in which curve least affects off-angle viewing would be LG’s OLED models. In these TVs, off-angle viewing doesn’t lead to the sort of color washout and contrast reduction found in LCD TVs. This is thanks to the nature of their OLED display technology and it might be why curvature on OLED 4K TVs tends to look somewhat nicer than it does on LCD TVs. However even in these models, the curve doesn’t add any real benefit, and it’s the OLED display which creates the real added value in their display.

Distortion and Reflection

Reflection in either a curved or flat screen TV will be much more of an effect created by the level of gloss in the screen instead of its curvature. Glossier screens will normally reflect quite a bit in brightly lit spaces while more matte TV screens wont. Furthermore, 4K TVs with particularly good brightness, contrast and color vibrancy won’t be affected by reflection as much as models in which these display technologies are duller, regardless of whether they’re flat or curved. A very good example of this is the picture quality on the flat screened but absolutely superb Sony X940C and X930C 4K TVs. That said, for whatever reflection there is in a curved TV, it will be more stretched out than it would be in a flat screen TV due to distortion from the curve. In other words, it will take up more of the display space and block out slightly more of your view.

The best solutions for reflection in either flat or curved TVs lies in positioning them as ideally as possible so there aren’t any bright sources of light opposite the screen and to generally try watching your TV under darker lighting conditions if possible, whether the model in question is curved or not.

The distortion of light reflection on a curved 4K TV display is worse than that of a flat screen version

As for distortions other than those produced with light reflection, there are viewers who report a sort of “bow-tie” effect when watching certain types of content on a curved screen. In other words, the top vertical bar of something like letterboxed content can look like it’s stretching upwards along the edges of the TV, though this effect depends largely on viewing angle. Viewing a curved 4K UHD TV from dead ahead normally doesn’t produce any notable distortion.

Pros and Cons

To simplify your process of selecting a curved or flat 4K TV as much as possible, we’re going to use this section to give you an overall bullet-point breakdown of pros and cons, so you can quickly weigh in favor of one or the other display design:

PROs

Slight (very slight) improvement in immersion: You won’t get anything like theater quality immersion with a curved 4K TV but that extra fraction of a degree and extra inch of screen real estate we described above do technically add to the overall viewing experience

Depth is enhanced: On this front we definitely have to give curved 4K TVs their due. The depth created by the curve and particularly in larger 65 inch+ models with additional picture quality technologies like OLED can indeed create something closer than normal to a 3D viewing experience. Some brands like Samsung, which makes most of the market’s curved 4K TVs, even add depth enhancement technology to augment this 3D effect further by playing with contrast levels across the screen.

Wider field of view: As we’d already mentioned, yes, the field of view is wider. The extra dimension is very slight but it is indeed there.

Superior contrast: Since most of the best 4K UHD TVs like LG’s OLED models and the top shelf Samsung SUHD TVs come with curvature, the correlation is that curved TVs come with excellent contrast, but this isn’t because of the curve, it’s because of the other technologies most curved models also have in them.

They simply look cool: This is the point in favor of curved TVs which we definitely won’t argue against. They may have their flaws and be obtrusive if hung from a wall (for those which can be mounted up at all) but these TVs undoubtedly do look cool. They’re striking, they’re elegant and they’re sleek as hell.

Reflections are exaggerated: The curve on these TVs definitely creates a sort of funhouse mirror effect when it comes to reflections on the screen. This means that light shining off the display covers even more of your content.

Viewing angle limitations: The curve narrows the quality viewing angle of these TVs considerably, particularly for smaller models which are less than 65 inches

Ideal picture quality only comes from dead center: Viewing any 4K TV at off-center angles starts to spoil picture quality but with curved TVs, this is a far sharper rule, with the “sweet spot” for viewing being narrower.

Size matters too much: To get any of the marginal benefit that curved TVs offer, you need to really invest in maximum size. Considering that these models are already pricier than their flat counterparts, going for a 75 inch model is not going to hit your pocketbook lightly.

They’re all expensive: We have yet to see a curved 4K TV that didn’t cost a hefty bit more than an equally sized flat screen model with the same specs. The manufacturers are selling their curvature dearly and it’s annoying because they know it’s mostly a gimmick.

Immersion is mostly just a marketing gimmick in any normal-sized curved 4K TV

Cost/Benefit and our Final Word

As should be obvious right now, we’re not absolute fans of curvature in 4K UHD TVs. For the most part the technology creates more problems than benefits and what few positives it imparts to a 4K TV are offset by the defects and weaknesses of curvature. Furthermore, curved models, even if they have the exact same visual and connectivity specs as their flat counterparts, are often more expensive. Given the dubious value of the curve in these TVs, we don’t think this added price is justified at all.

On the other hand, because some of the best manufacturers of 4K ultra HD TVs are in love with curved screens for now, anyone who is a fan of LG, Panasonic or Samsung and wants one of their flagship 4K TV models, pretty much has no choice but to go for a curved TV.

This is also what partly create the impression of quality in many viewers eyes when it comes to curved design. They are looking at the curve on what are otherwise some of the best TVs on the market and as a result, a lot of consumers probably connect curve with picture quality, even though it’s the other specs in a TV like Samsung’s SUHD JS9500 or LG’s EG9600 which are really delivering these models’ superb picture quality.

With all this said, our Final Word is that curved TV design does very little for most 4K UHD TVs and if it improves viewing at all, it only does so in small ways and with very large screens. If you like the look of a curved TV, go ahead but don’t expect amazing results from the curve alone.

I plan on buying a 4K curved screen TV to use as a monitor for my next PC.

When sitting approximately 3 feet away from the screen, I believe that a curved screen would be superior to a flat screen due to off center perceived dimming at the left and right edges of a large LCD flat screen, plus the added bonus of enveloping “surround” video from a curved screen at close proximity. This does not apply if you are sitting far away from the screen as most people do when watching TV in a lounge room.

In this regard I’d definitely agree with you John. normal sized Curved 4K TVs make a negligible difference in terms of quality in a living room entertainment system setting but if you’re talking about using a curved 4K TV as your PC monitor substitute, the curvature will definitely feel better at close distances like that which you describe.

I’d probably go for a 40″ curved if I were you, either a Samsung or a Sony if you can find them? If you have a PC that is capable of processing and outputting a 4K signal, with a nice chunky gfx card that can also do the same, and 3 VDU outputs that is.

Depending on what you like though, I can imagine that a good FPS (Gears of War is due a soonish PC 4K release) like COD, or a Racing title would be good…me however? I’d be looking at hooking up 3 4K’s, buying a top notch flight stick and getting myself Elite:Dangerous!

If you are the only person in the house to ever watch the TV and will ALWAYS happen to be sitting in the optimum position, then a curved TV might work. However, if you have a family and more than likely have many people watching TV at the same time, a curved TV is a BAD idea due to the fact that people sitting off center will have varying degrees of adverse viewing exactly related to how off center from the TV they are.

While they may get these bugs worked out in the future, currently the curved TVs are nowhere near worth the extra money they are charging for them, and come with too many downsides in too many situations for me.

I agree with JD. Rather than buy the 65″ Samsung curved 4k TV, I will be buying the 70″ Samsung flat 4k TV. It will replace the 70″ 1080p I already have. I am moving the current TV to another location. The angle of viewing is the main reason for sticking with the flat screen. I have lots of people over for watching football games and want all the guests to have a great seat. Why buy a 65″ curved Samsung 4k TV when you can get a 70″ flat Samsung 4k TV for the same price ( $2K) and provide a better viewing angle to more people. No brainer to me.

Thanks for the details, curved screens were originally produced in the mid1970’s by Advent, for reflecting sound from the large three gun projector they developed for their 72″ projection TV. The Curve did its’ job, superbly projecting / distributing the sound distinctly back to the viewer with good fidelity. Sound improvement may be the only distinct advantage for the under 65″ class TVs, provided the speakers are correctly located and are better quality.

First off this article was extremely informative and it made complete sense !
So much so that based on this article alone, I have decided I will not get a curved screen TV, although I might consider a curved screen monitor for my photography work.

I only have one small nit with the article… A TV is not “hanged up” it is hung up 😃 However since my girlfriend and I got a great laugh out of this, I guess I should tha
nk the author for this too 😊

When someone’s job is to write articles, I think it is okay to point out flaws in grammar. Especially if it’s done constructively (like Chris did). Now the author is better at his job, which in part is to sound as literate as possible. I’m no author (engineer), but I also recognized the author’s misuse of “hanged”.

Yes, when the person being corrected makes their living writing, duh. There is never anything wrong with constructive criticism which helps improve people at their jobs.

This particular situation no big deal, but I have actually seen miswording cause huge problems. A local company I was a contracted electrician for had a helper call into main office and report his electrician had been electrocuted. The head office started making arrangements and calling the man’s next of kin and wife. Turns out the man had been “shocked” not electrocuted and was still quite alive and well, Electrocuted is to die from electrical shock.

I’m so glad someone has put these TVs in their place when it comes to curvature, it’s a total fad and an unashamed money grabbing marketing scheme. There is no real discernible difference between flat and curved when sitting at a distance of 10-15 feet and over when it comes to viewing, and besides, the further you sit from it, the more flat it looks – so a tad purpose defeating to be honest when choosing a curved over a flat! Most people now will struggle to get a 65″ TV in their living room let alone a 75″ version (especially the KDL75X9305 from Sony), 55″ is usually the average people go for in my experience when it comes to a spankers new 4K set.

I work in a retail establishment that stocks both flats and curveds and as such see the drawbacks of curved TVs every day when either demoing them or just patrolling round the shop. I always tell the customer about the points exactly laid out in the article above.

For the average home user I will always recommend a flat version of a curved all day, every day. The screen geometry is all wrong for starters (especially when it comes to watching sports played on a pitch – hello! The pitch is marked with straight lines…on a curved?!?). The reflection pick-up is terrible as being curved, it gains reflections from other parts of the room you just wouldn’t see with a flat. I don’t know WHY manufacturers saw/didn’t see this when testing out the initial prototypes when it came to implementing and QCing their ideas? Why did they make curveds with gloss finish glass, why not with a MATT finish or an anti-glare coating on the TV screen? If people are paying a premium for a curved 4K TV then they probably won’t notice a small extra charge in with the ticket prices for these TVs with a matt finish on the screen.

All in all I suspect people will be sticking with flats for a while to come yet, even though Phillips, Panasonic and Samsung are pushing the curveds still, well into 2016 and possibly the next coming year too. It looks like LG might also be getting in on the game with a curved 4K OLED at some point as well, but I wouldn’t touch OLED tech yet, not for another 18 months or 2 years minimum, not least that it’s still a technology that is well in its infancy and as such, there are still teething problems to work out with it’s longevity and brightness issues. An OLED TV can only push out image brightness levels at about 750-850 NITS,most LEDs output at a NIT level of 1000, which is why by contrast (sorry, no pun intended) the blacks look blacker as the output isn’t washing out the blacks on it’s NIT level. Wait until the NEW wave of Sony 4Ks come out in about 2 months or so, with the slim BMDS (Backlighlight Master Drive System)…. they will be able to push out an image brightness at FOUR THOUSAND NITS. Couple that with the Triluminous system and the black depth levels and it will far out do the OLED black reputation.

All in all I’m waiting for another 6-9 months until I purchase my next TV……it’ll probably be a Sony 4K from the new range.

Brilliant and very informative article as said by Chris above. One point I’d like to elaborate on though would be the apparent higher cost of the curved TV to their flat screen counterparts. I am currently looking at the Samsung ue55js8000 and the curved equivalent ue55js8500. Firstly it is nice Samsung noticed the demand for a flat high end TV. Although I have noticed that with some looking around these two TVs are of similar price, around £1200.

Would you still stand by the outcome of the article and say even at the same price curved screens are of no benefit?

Hello Daniel. Yes I would stand by that argument. Curved screen technology may look aesthetically pretty depending on subjective preferences but the curvature itself offers no additional benefit to any normally sized screen (particularly in the moderate 55 to 65 inch size ranges). If anything, as my article explains, the curvature will cause slight detriments that would not be found with flat display.

This was largely a sales gimmick technology for 2015 and newer TV releases in 2016 are even bearing this out, as manufacturers once again go back to flat display. Even LG, king of the curved premium OLED TVs in 2015, has now reverted to flat display for their Signature G6 OLED TV, which is now coming out.

Thanks Stephen. I must say originally I was undecided on the subject, but after reading your article I am now in total agreement with you. It’s still a shame all of Samsung’s high end TVs are curved, but as you say hopefully the manufacturers are reverting back now from this gimmick. I am just glad Samsung released the ue55js8000 which is the first screen version of the 8500.

Thanks again you’ve helped a lot. Just need to be sure of going for a 55 inch TV rather than the 48 inch which I initially had my eye on.

Hello Daniel, yes it’s a bit of an irony but while we think curvature is a flat out gimmick, its presence in a TV doesn’t discount all the other high or low qualities of that particular television. The JS8500, JS9000, JS9500 and even more than any of these, LG’s OLED EG9600 were all curved models with extraordinarily high display quality due to their internal technologies, which have nothing to to with their curved screens. It’s a correlative relationship that you’re seeing here. Curvature was the craze of late 2014 and mainly 2015 (particularly for Samsung and LG) so Samsung and LG put it into their top TVs even if what made those TVs superb had nothing to do with the curve.

Luckily, while curvature does nothing to improve display quality, it also does very little to spoil it. Thus a great 4K TV will still be great even if it has a pointlessly curved screen.

Stephen, would there be any benefit to a 55″ curved screen if it was going to be placed in a corner with a wide window on one wall behind it? I imagine the curve might obstruct some of the light coming from the window where a flat may end up with a huge glare stretching across it. Or would the other edge catch more of it and make it worse anyway?

Hi there Glenn, This is an interesting question but i stick to the arguments I presented in the post. Since you’ve read the article, you know the site’s stance on curved TVs (A stance shared by quite a few other technology sites as well). On the whole, I’d argue that you should go for a flat TV anyhow. The possible (but not guaranteed) benefit of having a curved TV in that exact place in your home is outweighed by the general benefit of having a flat TV when you possibly change locations or change the layout of your entertainment setup. Furthermore, as we’d argued, the other detriments of curved design would still apply and you’d be paying extra for a pointless bit of design gimmickry. Go for a flat screen and if possible, pick a TV with particularly bright display to offset any potential reflection from ambient sunlight. Sony’s models are great in this regard, particularly the X810C or the X850C on the lower priced side, or the new X850D TV on the pricier, newer superior HDR side.

Luckily Samsung this year have brought out there new flagship KS9000 Curve with an equal KS8000 flat, apart from the bend everything else is the same, so now we have an even harder choice cos we have a choice!!! Smart move Samsung.

I appreciate your article and the elaborate details identifying the strength and weaknesses of the Curved TV. Initially, I was going to purchase a Curved 65″, but now after reading this analysis, I feel more at ease with making a purchase of a Flat TV. The sales man at my local Best Buy store had no clue with respects to the Flat vs. Curved. I do now believe that it is true when you say, “The manufacturers are selling their curvature dearly and it’s annoying because they know it’s mostly a gimmick.”

Hello Rodrigo and thank you very much for the compliment. I stand firmly behind this argument. After seeing numerous 4K TVs with both curved and flat screens, I at best notice no extra practical display benefit in the curve and if anything, for the reasons I argued in my piece, it can actually be a detrimiment in some situations (especially with light reflection off the screen and viewing angles). Unless you really like the physical look of a curved screen, don’t bother with the extra expense it imparts. However, once caveat I’d add: If a particular TV is only available in curved form but happens to be an excellent model due to its specs, don’t let the curve stop you from buying it either. The curve may not benefit the TV but the other specs might be worth the purchase regardless.

good article !
the 2016 models of the new FLAT-suhd tv’s from Samsung stop at 65 inch.
We need to build – in a tv above the modern wide – fireplace.. does anyone know if samsung
suhd tv’s bigger than 65 inch (flat!) will be for sale later this year ?

Hello Bart. I don’t believe we’ll see new SUHD models in larger sizes following the release of the also curved KS9800 flagship model. Thus what I’d recommend in this case is that you either simply go for the larger curved KS9800 78 inch model (though it is very expensive at $10,000!) or go for one of Vizio’s excellent P-Series HDR TVs, which go up to 75 inches and are all flat, and also much more affordable. These truly are excellent models and we’d consider them the second best 4K HDR LCD TVs of 2016.

While our stance on curved TV design is pretty clear as explained in the article above, we also ask that you bear in mind the following caveat: If a 4K TV is excellent and you love its specs but only available in curved design, then go for it anyway. TV makers use the curve to justify arbitrary price rises in these TVs and the curve does little or nothing for “immersion” but it also does no real harm, so a well designed TV will still be great whether its curved or flat.

Is the flat samsung 65KS8000 exactly the same specification as the curved samsung 65KS9000? I’m buying one of these TVs in the next couple of days but can’t decide curved or flat, hence why I’m reading your excellent article. Do you think the enhanced depth thing which the curved samsung has will be missed if I go for the flat one? Obviously I want the one with the best picture quality.

Hello there Jane, the KS8000 and the KS9000 are actually different from each other, aside from curvature. The KS9000 offers more powerful peak brightness, stronger black levels and a somewhat better contrast. On the other hand, if you were comparing the KS8000 with the KS8500 and the KS9000 against the KS9500, then each pair is basically identical except for curve or no curve.

Just had a Samsung UA55JU7500 (55 inch curved ultra hd) installed today. I hadn’t read the article before i bought it. Certainly was pushed by the salesman over the flat screen, but i think mostly because it had higher specs than the (admittedly much cheaper) flat screen we were looking at.

It is in a relatively small room so its’ doubtful anyone would be more than 35 degrees off centre. I’ll be interested to see if there is any issues when sitting off centre.

Hi there Andy. I don’t think you have too much to worry about here. I perhaps mentioned it in the article itself but i’ll repeat here an important caveat: A high quality TV will offer great display whether it’s curved or not. The curve mostly offers no benefit and what it does spoil from visual quality as described in our article is offset by high quality display specs such as those offered by the JU7500. You’ll likely enjoy the TV quite a lot regardless. However, yes, the price tag for curved TVs is higher specifically because of the curve and this is a bit of a tricky move by those who sell them. This is what possibly caused the sales rep to push the curved model at you more than a flat display.

I thought this article was really informative but the question of personal use wasnt exactly answered. I wanted to put one in my bedroom for PC gaming and movies, where I’ll ONLY BE seeing the screen dead on whether right in front of it or from my bed. How much of a difference then does it make? You said ideal is only from dead center, but if I’m only looking at it from dead center, is it worth the extra price tag?

Hello there Brandon, in the context you’re describing and in most other contexts, going for the flat model is the better idea. The light reflection on the screen from any ambient light sources will be less and since curved display adds no other value to any normal sized TV screen, why both spending the extra money on a curved version of any 4K TV? For example, the 2016 SUHD KS8000 and KS8500 are identical to the most basic specs but the KS8500 costs about $200 more only because of a curve that delivers no display value. Seems a bit silly unless you really just like the aesthetic appeal of curve.

Hello Stephen. First, I just want to thank you for your article. It was very informative and definitely helped in making my decision. Over this past weekend I went to Best Buy and purchased the Samsung 65″ 4K KS8000. It was not in stock when I made the purchase, but set up for in-store pickup at another Best Buy where I lived. I went yesterday with my father who has the truck to put the TV in and immediately he noticed the Samsung 65″ 4K KS85000. He kept going back to this TV and it honestly made me go back to it as well. Everything just seemed to “POP” as if I were in a movie theater. Of course, all these TVs are tuned for store display which make a huge difference. I kept going back and forth on which TV I should get. Ironically, Best Buy’s sale this week has both TVs for the same price of $2,199.00 where usually as you mentioned above the curved is $200 more so the price didn’t factor into the decision. The thing that I kept going back to mainly was yes, the curve catches your eye by its different design and being the new “fad,” but since I have said from day one that this TV will be hung on the wall, I couldn’t get past how much the Curve will come off the wall opposed to the sleek flat TV. If it were a matter of the Curve providing better picture than the KS8000, then maybe I would’ve made the choice for curve, but the picture quality is the exact same so I stuck with my decision to go with the Flat 4K KS8000. I know I won’t be disappointed once I get it all set up over the weekend.

Just wanted to share my experience and thank you again for your post. It certainly helped with my decision!

Hey there Mike, I’m glad my post was helpful and we greatly appreciate feedback like this. It’s informative for other readers as well. As we’d said, while curve might have physical appeal to some buyers, it won’t improve picture quality in any real way in any normal sized TV (Huge cinematic screens are a different story of course) and one of our major complaints about it is just this, how clumsy the seemingly mild curve suddenly looks when pegged up to a flat wall in the home.

Hi Stephen, Great Article. I have been going through the same mental agony for past two weeks as I am deciding on Curved Vs. Flat. Similar to Mike L.’s dilemma, I was at Costco shopping for Samsung’s SUHD 65″ TV, though I would prefer LG’s OLED if their prices met my budget. Curved version 850D & Flat 800D, both are for $2,179.99. I guess 8000/8500 series sold at Bestbuy have silver bezel vs. pewter for 850s (identical TVs). Interestingly, 850D (Curved) was marked down by $800 (from original $2,979) and $800D (Flat) was marked down by $600 (from original 2,779). It is the same reduction at Bestbuy for 8000 and 8500 TVs. Is Samsung trying to tell us something? Both are their flagship 2016 models (of course they introduced 9000/9500 series recently). Is Curved not preferred over their Flat cousins any more? Does this validate your argument further? Just intrigued and still not decided.

Hi there Manish, I believe you may be onto something there actually. LG has alredy started abandoning the curved OLED TV design since only one of their 2016 models comes with it (the C6 OLED) and is priced almost identically to its B6 flat screen version. Samsung persists with curved TVs and while this doesn’t bother us so much, the extra pricing is insulting in a way. Since we’re not the only site to have also pointed out that curved screens create virtually no difference in picture quality it’s possible that consumers have been buying less of the curved versions and Samsung has taken note. This is speculation of course but it would explain those price points you mention.

Hi Stephen, Great Article, thanks. Quick question. We looked at the LG’s C6 curved and E6 flat tv’s and the C6 is $1000 less. Does that make it worth purchasing over the E6? We liked the B6 but it didn’t include 3D support so it was out of the running. Thanks so much

Hey there Adam, for the most part, the E6 isn’t worth the extra expense. Its brightness performance may be very slightly better, and its color accuracy is better than that of the C6 but the difference is too small to really be notable to the naked eye and in any case both TV’s offer full HDR-level DCI-P3 color space Wide color gamut coverage anyhow. The main reason for the higher price of the E6 is this minor color performance enhancement, a superior built-in sound quality and the much more innovative physical dsign, with the glass back panel. You will however likely be extremely happy with the C6 if you go for it.

Great article, I waited till after Christmas to shop for a sexy curved tv and it was Lg vs Samsung. The money I could save w/Samsung was lost by false refresh rates, flicker frames and high power consumption. When restricted to LG, it came down to the C6 vs E6. The E6’s price fell to C6 levels after Christmas and a review of the C6’s 3-D resolution showed shadows in the banding image that testing instruments produced. The tester had no explanation for the flawed 3-D image on the C6. I suspected that the curved screen was not accounted for in the 3-D hardware/software. So,.. as beautiful as the curved C6 is,..I bought the E6 55″ on Jan 10 for $1489 total. The E6 produces 25% more brightness on 25% less electricity than the C6, A sign of better insulation, better parts, better everything. Even the fuse on the E6 is smaller. The C6 was $200 cheaper and was what I wanted but the E6 flat-screen is what I bought. Your article makes me feel better about my decision, thanks

In order to get that immersive perception, the screen has to be greater than 70″ just to get that effect.
Otherwise, not worth the extra inch the manuacture mentions.
Theaters use the curvature to attract movie goers perception.
Its captivating at a larger proportion of a screen.
65 inch screens will done nothing much on the viewing distances or angle as i have compared with a 65 inch flat screen 4K Smart TV with a Motion Rate of 240 which the picture look practically the same. It may look a bit immersive at the center of a curved screen but not worth the money. I rather go with the flat screen.

Thank you ever so much. By your engineering approach yet layman stated comparison I, being an engineer, wholeheartedly concur with your conclusion. My jump from a 65″ to 80″ TV will ultimately be the most cost effective, best picture quality, flat screen 4K TV the market has to offer.

I want to know, will samsung launch any suhd models flat screen in 65 inches, i am bit confused as the curved screen do not suit my interiors, but the suhd quantum dot is superb, unfortunately it is not coming with flat screen,
Would you suggest something between ju6470 and ks 9000

Hey there George, 4K is basically a term to describe a picture resolution that’s four times larger than Full HD and measures at 4000 (or close to it) pixels horizontally. Thus, Full HD sits at 1920 x 1080 pixels, for total of a little over 2 million pixels on a screen. typical TV 4K ultra HD measures at 3840 x 2160 pixels, for a total of 8.29 million pixels. The name 4K refers to the number of horizontal pixels, and this isn’t exactly accurate since there are 3840 of them in most 4K TVs. But it’s close enough for wide use.

Appreciate this very thorough eval on the curve vs flat. We were just about to buy the Samsung 55 inch flat 4K and saw an add for this week for the Samsung 55 inch 4K curved for the same price as the flat. After reading the pros and cons I think we should stay with the flat, even though we thought the curved is cooler looking – the latest trend. We weren’t planning on hanging it, but that is surely a consideration, and viewing angle is important. We were not thinking of up-pricing to the models with the High Dynamic Range, though we could see the difference,as we did not want to go the extra money.

To also reply to this comment Ar, yes, I’d suggest staying with a flat screen. For one thing it actually does a better job of handling reflected glare by localizing it into a smaller area and secondly, as I explained in detail in the post, it really offers no real benefit while costing pointless dollars extra. Unless you don’t mind paying a premium for a completely superficial aesthetic preference, extra money spent on curved TVs is money wasted.

Once again I really appreciated your article. I have two other questions before buying our new TV. The TV will be directly across from a large window. We have sheer curtains covering the center of the the window with heavier drapes on the sides, so we get some daytime glare on the screen on our current TV which is an old style glass screen. The salesman said the new TV’s will not have as much reflection. Is that true and is the Samsung ok to buy or should we be looking at a different brand for anti -glare? Is the Samsung a matte finish? What is the basic difference between the UN55KU6500 UN55KU6290 UN55KU6300?
Thanks for your help.

Hi there Ar, To address your first question, yes the 2016 TVs are better at handling glare mainly because they offer higher levels of peak brightness, better contrast and deeper, richer blacks. However their screens are certainly not matte. This shouldn’t be a major problem in your new TV with th layout you describe if you just set its brightness and contrast to higher levels in the TV’s control menus. (Under “Expert Settings” in the “Picture” menu for Samsung TVs).

As for the differences between the KU6500, KU6300 and KU6290. there are effectively no real differences between them in terms of display performnce or any other important specs. The KU6500 is the curved version of the KU6300 with identical specs and the KU6290 is a slightly differently named KU6300 designated for sale to select retailers like Sams Club or Costco. It’s otherwise the same TV though.

I like that you point out that flat screens don’t draw attention to themselves when not in use. I think that this is really important thing to keep in mind if you are planning to put the TV on the wall. I’ll have to remember this the next time I go looking for a TV.

I have a 65″ Curved SUHD Samsung. I thought it was a gimmick but once I got it home and set it up in the living room, it was hands down, the best investment I have made in years. We sit roughly 8′-10′ from the screen and side by side with my 2 year old Bravia 1080P you can definitely see the difference even playing a regular bluray

Hey there JR. This is a wonderful thing to hear but I suspect that the stunning quality you’re seeing is due to your TVs superb HDR and 4K display specs, not so much the curve. This will apply especially if you’re comparing your new SUHD with an old 1080p TV. A curved SUHD model offers no appreciable display benefit over an otherwise equally performing flat-screen 4K SUHD model in our experience.

Thank you for a wonderful article and summary. I have a curved 65″ LG OLED C6 and absolutely love it. However, I sit pretty close to the TV and I’m usually only one watching. It works for me but wouldn’t recommend it for wall hanging or households with >2 viewers. I’m glad I had a choice, since B6 (the flat version) and C6 were the same price! Choice is a good thing (for the same price).

I’m looking for a new tv to game on. I live alone and sit 6ft from the screen with my 32″ but am thinking about changing to a 50″. I’ve read a lot about curved being gimmicky products but the comment at the top about using for a monitor does leave me wondering if the closer position I probably adopt while gaming would make a “smaller” 50″ screen relevant.

To call a 50″ small seems crazy to me though but as you’re toting 70″ up I suppose it is.

Hey there Monster, 50 inch TVs are definitely not small by the standards of average HDTV size, we only call them smallish because in the 4K TV market, display size averages tend to be generally larger and ideal 4K TV size only really starts at 50 or 55 inches if you want to be a purist. That said, if you’re going to be using a 4K TV as a monitor, yes, a smaller screen in the 40 to 45 inch range should be just fine since you’re likely only going to sit a few feet or less away from the display. Also, the one context in which we consider curved screens on either monitors or TVs to be okay is from very close range, such as with gaming. Especially for curved large monitors that you might sit a couple feet away from.

This article pretty much echoes the same sentiments from the folks at Consumer Reports. They wrote a similar article a while back on the same subject, and decided that, unless your considering a curved TV as a work of art as well as a TV, it’s more practical to get a flat one.

Lol… I don’t think the writer intended for this to transform into an English Language bout…… If for anything, I’ll just have it as ‘poetic license’…lol…Thank you for the article…. Nevertheless, I still love the said curved ‘gimmick’, even if only for it’s prestige,aesthetics and upscale perception.

Well, I was torn whether to get the Samsung 65″ 6300/6500 series Curved or Flat panel. This article cleared that up as I have too many relatives that visit and friends who watch football with me in season. I was buying a curve because it looks so cool, but that was it. So flat panel it is. So thanks for helping me make up my mind..

BTW the nitpicking on Hanged or Hung was a bit silly. Everyone knew what he meant and both can be used.

Hey there Jack, thanks for the compliment and the defense of my back and forth with hanged and hung. hah. I’m glad the article could be of help and I repeat, the flat display versions of that TV in particular definitely reflect light better. Curve is essentially for users who’d like their TV to resemble a piece of art. While that’s fine for those who want it, I’d argue that practical performance is more important.

I bought the lg 55in curved and couldn’t be happier. I have owned a lot of tv’s and consider myself a moderate techie… I think a curved screen gives a much better viewing experience. Even from the side its hands down better than my flat screen. I don’t think it’s a gimmick and if you are on the fence i encourage you to go to a tv store where you can sit in a room and view side by side with a flat screen, you will be leaving with the curved….

Hi Irina, the JS9500 is a great 4K HDR TV from the 2015 lineup though I’d recommend the JS9000 more. it’s specs are identical but without the curved display, which for the reasons we described in this article is pointless and even maybe detrimental. If you can get the JS9000 for a lower price, I really recommend you go for it. Its specs and internal performance are basically identical to those of the JS9500.

We just bought a Samsung 4k curved 65″ and love it! We don’t have any problems with viewing angles or a bunch of us watching TV in the living room. I bought a curved monitor about a year ago, and love using it for work. Personally, I haven’t had any glare problems or viewing issues. I viewed this TV at Costco next to us flat counterpart. My family liked the curved picture better. Ultimately, I think it comes down to preference.

Hi Kaitlin, I’m glad you found a TV that you and your family are happy with, and of course you’re fundamentally right that preference is king for consumers. Furthermore, most larger curved TVs built recently have a gentle enough curve for it to not matter much either way, but that’s where the fundamental point I was making lies: Namely that while curve isn’t going to ruin your TV, it also offers no objective benefit, so spending more for it if you think it will offer something it doesn’t is, in our view, a mistake.

I can see an objective benefit if the curved panel screen is situated in a corner. Takes up less area space as it makes a better ‘fit’ (as opposed to on a flat wall). In this case would the downside (dependent on one’s angle of viewing) still apply? i.e. no one’s view would appear to be at a disadvantage if the curvature is in a corner. I am having a hard time deciding which is better in this situation.

After moving to my new place, I put my two Vizio HDTVs in the Master and Guest bedrooms with the intention of getting a 65″ for the new living room. I did all the research, and read many articles like yours. As a result, I was totally against getting a curved TV. My first choice was an OLED, but I wasn’t prepared to spend nearly $3,000 on a 65 incher. The second choice was a QLED and I decided on the Vizio equivalent (P-series). However, when I went to pick it up I happened across a 2015/2016 Samsung 65″ Curved UHD TV and the form factor (even hung) blew me away. What I didn’t expect, was for the picture to blow me away as well (it looked better than the pictures of everything else in the showroom – including the OLEDs). I figured this was just showroom stuff and went with the TV strictly for the ‘cool’ factor of how elegant the thin curved TV would hang on the wall. So, I picked it up for $1,699.

When I got it home, I discovered that everything Samsung claims about curved TVs is true, and everything the naysayers say is false.
1. Wall Hanging. While the curves do bend out away from the wall on all sides, the very fact that the curved TVs are so much thinner still makes them look tons more aesthetically pleasing (like a piece of art) when compared to my flat screen.

2. Glare: The television is mounted on a wall that is adjacent to a large main window. The Vizio flat screen always showed glare and was barely viewable at mid-day. The Curved TV, actually cut down on the glare from the window (because there wasn’t a flat surface for the glare to reflect off of). If dealing with a window to the side, then I found that curved TVs don’t have more glare, they eliminate it practically altogether.

3. Immersive experience; I thought this was just a buzz word until I got the TV. Yes, it does immerse the viewer – regardless of angle.

4. Sweet spot: There isn’t any. I have a huge living room and the TV image looks just as good from close to 20 feet away (the end of my living room) and every angle.

It’s interesting to learn about curved TV’s here. I’ve always wondered what the point of those is, and now I know that the immersiveness really isn’t a thing. It sounds like we just need to keep buying flat screens for our home.

I have a Samsung 40 inch UHD 4K tv and I find not only is there a degrading of picture quality when sat at an angle but if the picture is dark then I experience a lot of ghosting on the screen. That is the only way I can describe it. It is so poor I am going back to an LG flat screen.

Hey there Jay. AS we’ve explianed frequently in some of our content, posts, guides and in any reviews we do of curved TVs, the curved display won’t improve picture immersiveness or quality in any way but it also won’t harm anything on larger TVs (curved screens are however detrimental to smaller displays of less than 55 inches). So if you like the way the curve looks and prefer it to the flat version, then go ahead and get it if it’s available at the same price. Paying more for a curved version of any TV is a mistake though. Performance-wise, the Q7F and Q7C are pretty much identical in every way.

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